Easiest Guitar Pedal Build Tutorial (7-Minute Fuzz Pedal)

[@AaronMatthies]

See links to this kit, wiring diagrams, tips, and troubleshooting advice in this tutorial: guitargearfinder.com/guides/7-minute-fuzz-pedal-diy/

[@syukoshiomy]

this is the first and so far only video that has helped me to understand not only the guts of guitar pedals, but also soldering and circuitry and all the various components in general. thank you!!!

[@grokness]

This deserves more views.

[@MikeyRiceMusic]

The celebratory pedal test lick brought a big smile to my face

[@BayandurPogosyan]

Dude, you're a lifesaver. Best guides I've ever seen on the internet.

[@bigbasil1908]

It sounds ok for such a simple circuit. I recently soldered together a cheap chinese 2 tube pre amp board and it was really easy. I tried to space out some of the resistors and capacitors by putting them on either side of the board in a way as to try to minimize the chance of the components overheating - so it didn't look so neatly arranged but it was for that reason of not wanting it to overheat.

[@jeffreymckeown]

The most reason why I subscribe your channel is because your crystal clear explanation and working process. Keep up man 👍👍👍

[@jacksonhiggins2239]

My god this is so helpful, great video!

[@PatrickNorris10]

This is very rad. Thank you for just dropping all this information out here!

[@matt4193]

This year I'll try to build a couple of guitar pedals

[@maraheiat]

Update :)?

[@Crunchy_Black]

This is the most informative video on pedal building I’ve found yet. Thanks so much man

[@chikaBurton]

Nice one... since I'm just about to finish my first pedal build, I was a bit confused with footswitch wiring diagram, eg. why does ground get connected to pcb IN when in off mode, but that's probably to stop the circuit from idle working in amplifying random noise, which is kind of useful, and I'm going to do the same wiring.

[@ericbergmueller2981]

Clear, no nonsense, to the point. Great job!

[@mrsunshine2204]

Great video mate. Really helpful and informative!

[@couryswan2448]

STICKY TACKY STUFF FOR THE WINNN!! GREAT TIP!

[@are-bass]

This had a lots of help because I will Start to built pedals!

[@offthewallsk818]

Stepping drill bits make more sense for safety reasons. A standard drill bit can easily catch the aluminum and throw the pedal around.

[@AngryShellback]

Great guide... 👍🏻🤘🏼

[@tst3v3ns]

great video, thanks, just an fyi, stepping up the drill bit incrementally can actually throw your hole off center. it is best to use the correct size the first time.

[@AaronMatthies]

Even better is to use a stepped drill bit (what's usually recommended when building pedals). Stepped drill bits are self centering and generally work better for larger holes.

[@billwazoo]

Fantastically informing video, thank you!!

[@telecasterman18]

Hey Aaron, thanks for the very detailed review! Do these kits ship to the USA? Thanks dude!

[@AaronMatthies]

They do, check out the link in the description. They have a nice range of pedal kits worth checking out.

[@FergusCarr]

Fantastic

[@elarmuzik]

Thankd for video!!!Can anybody more experienced recommend any quality and affordable soldering iron station or kit to buy in UK?I'm just a hobbyist and want to start learning this craft...also need to fix few faders and buttons on my synths...thanks

[@tasteybeefcake]

this video makes me want to start building my own pedals instead of buying them…thank you sir😫

[@bearshield7138]

thank you

[@kacper531]

i wonder if you can build a pedal that separates the bass, mid, and treble of your signals and applies different distortions for each. could make an interesting sound.

[@AaronMatthies]

I wish more pedal makers did that. I played around with a rig in AmpliTube like this and it's definitely a great way to shape your tone in interesting ways. Also works great with modulation and delay effects (eg: only have delay/chorus on the lower frequencies). I guess you would split the signal into two paths with a high-pass/low-pass splitter, run both signals into two separate distortion circuits, then mix the two signals back together at the end. Complicated for a pedal build, but very possible.

[@FateGathersStudios]

You can build anything you want. What you are suggesting isn't too hard to do at all. Quad-op amp chips are your friend. [Input buffer] > 3-way EQ with a low, mid and high band pass filter with independent outputs > each distortion stage > summing amp > output buffer. Could probably get away with 6 op amps total. I would imagine it's gonna end up with a good number of potentiometers tho!

[@carlrudd1858]

Very good. Extra points for the absence of such verbage as 'uh' and 'um', like one suffers with on other well known DIY You Tube videos.

[@devvkhemani3628]

Nice video! I am new to building pedals and will buy this kit as my first! Can I build an overdrive from DIY pedals after this? and why is it that this pedal is very noisy? Is that just how fuzz pedals are? Would appreciate it if you could answer these questions. Subscribed!!

[@AaronMatthies]

Glad you found the video helpful. DIY pedals have quite a few overdrive kits, so you can definitely find one that suits you. Overdrive pedals can range from simple to complex, so have a look around at different options based on what type of effect you want. Fuzz pedals can be noisy, but there's a different reason why this one sounded so noisy when testing (that I didn't explain in the video). The pedal enclosure shields from interference, so when you test any pedal circuit outside of the enclosure it gets blasted from any interference such as the lights I was using during recording. I had two fluorescent lights right above the table to record this video, which creates a lot of interference. The pedal isn't noisy at all when mounted in the enclosure. So if you test a pedal and you hear a lot of humming, that should mostly disappear when it is mounted in the enclosure.

[@devvkhemani3628]

@@AaronMatthies oh thank you so much! can you please make more diy pedals videos? i’d watch you everyday haha

[@AaronMatthies]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm working on a few more DIY builds so keep an eye out for them!

[@bularitual2051]

Awesome video. Is possible to replace the footswitch to a Potentiometer? To have a dry signal mixing slowly with the processed signal? I mean instead of on/off would have a slowing effect releasing Cheers

[@AaronMatthies]

If you search for "add blend knob guitar pedal schematic", you'll see a few forums where people discuss doing that. I'd imagine it's possible with the right schematic.

[@NesDoesStuff]

i make simple circuits but this is my first video really explaining guitar pedals, im curious, what about the circuit makes the guitar get a fuzz effect? how does it give it that effect? isnt it just a simple circuit with nothing happening exactly? or am i having the wrong idea?

[@AaronMatthies]

The PDF on the website that sells the kit gives a nice overview of how the circuit works. It also includes different modifications you can try which is a great way to understand how different parts of the circuit changes the effect.

[@NesDoesStuff]

@@AaronMatthies thank you!

[@algiastone9790]

is the pcb specifically for fuzz? or we can use ordinary pcb to produce fuzz effect? thank you!

[@AaronMatthies]

The PCB I used is specifically for fuzz, but there are plenty of different kits and PCBs you can buy for fuzz effects.

[@algiastone9790]

@@AaronMatthies thanks! Have a great day!

[@dirge5132]

is that pcb one or two layered?

[@SonicSoundofDoom]

This was an amazing video

[@ltcm5052]

Cool, thanks! How would a novice pedal builder go about adding a potentiometer that controls gating??

[@AaronMatthies]

The PDF that you can download from the site that sells this kit goes into great detail on different mods you can try. I'd start there.

[@philkonestos2837]

Thanks for that tutorial. Do you consider making a tutorial about how to build one from scratch, without a kit? Would be very much appreciated. Anyways keep up your good work!

[@AaronMatthies]

I talk briefly about making a pedal from scratch without a kit in this guide: guitargearfinder.com/guides/diy-guitar-pedals/ An easy starting point is to buy a PCB of a pedal you want to build (links to different PCBs and circuits in the guide), then buy the components separately on your own. That's fun and teaches you a bit more about components compared to buying a kit. If you want to go further, you can look at etching your own PCBs so you can modify the circuit as you like. I've tried to do this and had a lot of trouble reliably etching the PCB. Other options such as perfboard are covered in my guide to help you figure out what you might want to try out.

[@needlethread4715]

are you using any other pedal/s /effects during the sound tests or just this fuzz pedal you made?

[@AaronMatthies]

No other pedals were used, only the fuzz pedal.

[@needlethread4715]

@@AaronMatthies thank you. how about specific voltage of the capacitors? becaus they have voltages too.

[@AaronMatthies]

The site where you can buy the pedal kit from has all the details you would want including schematics.

[@needlethread4715]

@@AaronMatthies thanks.

[@natashab8110]

any explanations on how to wire a 6-pins jack socket? i couldn't find a socket similar to yours

[@AaronMatthies]

If you have a multimeter, plug a cable in and use it to figure out which connections are for the tip and sleeve. Then you can use those points to wire it up like a mono jack.

[@ThiagoGomes-kh4es]

It's a silicon transistor? Thanks.

[@AaronMatthies]

Yes. If you check out the build doc for the 7-minute fuzz kit, it does go into a lot of detail explaining the circuit and explains different transistors you could use. Worth a read if you're interested in fuzz pedals.

[@ThiagoGomes-kh4es]

@@AaronMatthies thanks a lot. Very good job. I will try to build one and review this in my Instagram page @weekpedal...

[@djay6651]

As it's socketed, you could also use germanium transistors or different silicon transistors, to try to dial in a specific tone. HFE values, IIRC, are the main thing that determines how it sounds.

[@bigbasil1908]

The footswitch hole looked a bit too big. However a bit of ptfe tape would get any of those components fitting snuggly.

[@batpig6123]

Could i add another potentiometer for fuzz? And if it works where in between should i put it :)

[@AaronMatthies]

Yes you can. In the build documentation for the kit it explains different mods you can do, so have a read of it for instructions.

[@createinvent]

Is there a difference between pedals meant for standard electric guitars and bass guitars?

[@AaronMatthies]

Some pedals are designed with certain frequency ranges in mind, while others seem to work with anything. So it can be hit or miss to find a guitar pedal that works well with bass or vice versa.

[@createinvent]

@@AaronMatthies Cool, thx!

[@almostliterally593]

Is þis a clone of a certain vintage pedal?

[@dungnguyenviet4798]

can you tell me what's the wattage of your solder pen plz ? thanks

[@AaronMatthies]

It's not labelled but I think it was around 60W. For soldering guitar pedals, I feel buying an adjustable soldering iron is worth it. You can dial in the temperature to suit what you're working on.

[@evilkakepie708]

Is this a digital kit? Or analog? I don't know anything about electronics lol

[@AaronMatthies]

This is about as analog as you can get :)

[@justinwilburn4873]

How does this sound with a bass guitar?

[@ascw1991]

Now my question is what do I do if I want to make a single pedal that is a mix of 2 pedals like say a RAT and some kind of boost pedal like an Earthquaker Arrows?

[@AaronMatthies]

I would think of it as having the two separate effects installed in the one enclosure. So you would have a separate PCB for each effect, but only one set of input/output/power jacks on the outside of the pedal. Then you can figure out which wires can be connected together inside the enclosure. For example: the output from pedal 1 connects to the input to pedal 2. The +power from pedal 1 can be wired to +power from pedal 2, then connect that to the power source. You can even choose between having two footswitches (one for each effect) or one footswitch to control both effects at once (by connecting both effects to the same footswitch). If you really get into building custom pedals you can get to the point where you can get the schematics for both circuits and create a custom circuit all in one PCB, but that's quite a step up.

[@ascw1991]

@@AaronMatthies nice, ty. I'd love some kind of Tube Screamer/RAT combo pedal to save some space on my board

[@user-sz6lr8pi8e]

What if I want to put a picture on the pedal? Is that possible? and how?

[@AaronMatthies]

There are a few different methods that will give you different results. Examples are shown in my DIY pedals guide on the website. You might want to look into waterslide decals or vinyl stickers as two easy options.

[@gavinvalladares]

Where can I get that tool he used to solder?

[@AaronMatthies]

All tools and equipment are covered in this guide: guitargearfinder.com/guides/diy-guitar-pedals/

[@yoooooo903]

Video was helpfull but still i have some question - how to power this (i mean what power supply it needs)

[@AaronMatthies]

Depends how you wire it up - it can use either a battery or any standard power supply. It's all covered in the build document.

[@natashab8110]

do you maybe have the schematic for this pedal?

[@AaronMatthies]

There's a schematic in the "Bill of Materials & Build Guide" PDF download on the DIY Guitar Pedals website. I have a link to it in my build guide on my website (check the video description for links).

[@crisjohnalvarez6036]

Why my OCD clone always On When delay pedal is switch on it louds the volume of the OCD When switch off back to normal volume Also in reverb pedal. I dont know whats wrong with this all my powersupply and cable are good working i try different overdrive its okay, but on The ocd clone is not

[@L3onR3dK3ttl3]

1). Where can I find a kit? 2). Can I repair and/or upgrade one of my inoperable old pedals?

[@AaronMatthies]

1). Check my guide in the video description for links to the kit. 2). You can, but it depends on what caused the pedal to become inoperable. Some pedals are easier to repair than others.

[@tristanoelrich3060]

What part makes the effect sound?

[@AaronMatthies]

If you check out the build document for the pedal, it does a great job at explaining the entire circuit and how the components contribute to the sound of the pedal.

[@tristanoelrich3060]

Awesome thank you

[@ArtamisBot]

Isn't it better to connect the battery last, negative then positive? My understanding of electrical engineering says that would make sense... Otherwise very helpful 👍💚

[@ivanantolinez7170]

What power source do I need to use?

[@AaronMatthies]

Depending on how you wire it up, you can either use a 9V battery or a standard 9V external power supply.

[@ivanantolinez7170]

@@AaronMatthies thanks. The amperage matters?

[@AaronMatthies]

For a simple circuit like this it's not going to draw much current. I haven't measured it but I'd be surprised if it was anywhere near 30mA. So any power supply suitable for guitar pedals should work fine.

[@rafaelki8654]

how do i build the pcb?

[@anonymous_preferred7737]

Get the schematic and use a service like PCBway to make the board.

[@David-jz9bi]

Hey Aaron, Thanks for this guide it's extremely helpful for beginners. I've just put this kit together myself but it only works if my guitars volume knob is at 10.. like you can hear the effect cut in and out as you change the guitar volume between 9 and 10, any ideas where I've gone wrong?

[@AaronMatthies]

That's a strange problem, I haven't heard of something happening like that before. It might be worth messaging Paul on the DIY guitar pedals website where you bought the kit. He designed the circuit so he would know what to do. He's helped me a few times when I had problems.

[@brich2929]

I'll bet your volume pot is incorrect value

[@josiahnaegelen9314]

Not sure what you've mentioned in any of your other videos, but you should clarify that the solder joints are not always shiny depending on the type of solder you use. Lead-free solder is very rarely shiny when you are finished, but that doesn't mean that it was done wrong. The "shiny" test only works for lead solder.

[@evilkakepie708]

I subscribing the crap out if this channel. Omfg!

[@davelordy]

_"I'm using two mono [audio] jacks for this pedal because I won't be using the battery"_ What does that even mean ?

[@AaronMatthies]

The way to wire up a battery to power the circuit is to use a stereo audio jack. A stereo jack will have an extra connection point you can use and when you plug the cable in, it closes the circuit to allow the battery to power the pedal. Because I'm only using an external power supply, I can use a mono audio jack instead. On that kit's website, there's a diagram showing how to wire up a battery as a power supply. Check it out and it should make more sense.

[@davelordy]

@@AaronMatthies Thanks for the clarification !

[@BlindingSun_]

Anyone got a schematic for a big muff? 😂😂

[@andromedusmoat9608]

Good video, except for one thing: you aren't crimping the leads on your components before you're inserting them/soldering them to the pcb. There are soldering standard practices, and this is one of them. The extra small bend in the metal leads that come out of the components on the top side of the pcb allow for expansion and contraction when changing temperatures pass through the components. Without these bends (like your components in this video), repeated heating and cooling of the components will create internal stress, leading to eventual failure of the component. Your instruction should be amended to include this, otherwise you are advising people to solder things in so tight, the components or even the rings of copper on the pcb may pull themselves apart and cause circuit failure.

[@twojointsjay7330]

What does "crimping the leads" mean? I don't want to make this mistake when building my own pedal.

[@jtbirdACC]

​​​​@@twojointsjay7330imping the leads seems to be making a little bend that makes the components sit a little bit above the board, causing the leads to act as sort of a spring, providing stress relief. This mainly would be good for the capacitors on this board; the way OP installed them had very little to no stress relief. As far as any cylindrical components, those should have a bend in the lead for similar reasons. At first I didn't notice what the original commenter meant, but now I 100% agree with them, and edited my comment in turn

[@Linguae_Music]

I hate resistor color codes... It would, unironically, be better... if they had teeny tiny print, that required a comically large magnifying glass.

[@Linguae_Music]

I can't tell the damn colors apart, especially on the blue ones

[@codelicious6590]

Hm looks like a Bazz Fuss.

[@klepetar]

pay say bee :)

[@captainchaos3053]

Nobody like a big oversized hole especially if it's got rough edges!

[@crazkurtz]

You lost me at the blue LED. Lol can’t stand blue LEDs

[@KewlTo]

And you could sell it for 100 usd to some guitar nut.

[@CC-fi3pp]

That fuzz sounds awful, just build a Big Muff they can sound good self built, and don't need $10 parts like classic RAT does.